'We are taking the initiative. We are lifting electric mobility to the next level'

Audi has announced plans to sell 800,000 pure-electric and plug-in vehicles in 2025, as the brand doubles down on its commitment to electric mobility.

Rupert Stadler, Audi AG board chairman, said the company wants to "revolutionise mobility" and become the top luxury manufacturer in the e-mobility space – not exactly unique goals, given both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are aggressively planning their own plug-in revolutions.

The e-Audi era will kick off with the e-tron, which is set for an August 30 reveal, as the brand looks to electrify its entire line-up by 2025. More than 20 electrified vehicles will launch between now and that mid-decade marker, including the e-tron Sportback and e-tron GT from Audi Sport.

An electric compact will be launched in 2020, too, built on the Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) being developed by Volkswagen Group.

Much like the current MQB platform – sorry, toolkit – driving much of the Volkswagen Group, it'll be available in versions for small, medium and large cars.

To prepare its supply chain for the growing number of electric vehicles it'll be building, Audi will invest heavily in its Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants. By 2030, it wants to make all its global production sites carbon-neutral, in keeping with the plant building the e-tron.

Finally, a production version of the Aicon concept car will be landing in 2021, just in time to face-off with the BMW iNext. Coincidence? We think not.

"Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Vorsprung durch Technik, we will also present our first autonomous electric car based on our Audi Aicon show car in 2021," said Peter Mertens, Audi AG board member.

"An interurban shuttle with lounge character – initially in a pilot fleet and around the middle of the decade as a series-production car for automated driving."